The Warbirds of Glory Museum, located in New Hudson, MI, has reached another important stage in the restoration of its North American B-25J Mitchell, Sandbar Mitchell. Vintage Aviation News last reported on the restoration in its Spring 2025 project update. Although much of the recent progress has taken place behind the scenes, hundreds of hours have been devoted to engineering and preparing the components needed to reconstruct the bomber’s bomb bay. At the heart of this story is the remarkable work of Patrick Mihalek and his team at the Warbirds of Glory Museum in New Hudson, Michigan. Mihalek is a familiar name within the warbird community, and Vintage Aviation News has followed the museum’s work closely over the years. Our previous coverage can be found HERE.
(Image credit: Warbirds of Glory Museum)
For those discovering the organization for the first time, its work demonstrates what can be achieved when young people are given meaningful opportunities to participate in aviation. While many recognize the importance of introducing children and teenagers to the field, Mihalek and his team are putting that principle into practice through hands-on education, mentorship, and aircraft restoration. Their efforts reflect a deep commitment to aviation education and offer an inspiring example of what passion and dedication can accomplish.
(Image credit: Warbirds of Glory Museum)
One of the team’s largest recent projects was completing a detailed computer-aided design model of the bomb bay fuselage structure. Each component was carefully modeled to support the fabrication of the final 10 fuselage ribs forming the sides of the bomb bay. The process required extensive measurements, comparisons with surviving original components, and repeated refinements to ensure that the replacement parts accurately reproduce North American Aviation’s original structure. With the CAD work complete, the team has begun producing full-size test ribs from fiberboard. These patterns allow the restorers to compare the computer-generated designs directly with the original B-25 structure before committing costly aircraft-grade aluminum to the fabrication process.
(Image credit: Warbirds of Glory Museum)
The initial results have been encouraging, with the test ribs closely matching the original structure. The team is now designing the forming tools and sheet-metal blanks that will be used to manufacture the new aluminum ribs. Once completed, the tooling and blanks will be transported to AirCorps Aviation for forming and heat treatment. The museum also reported progress on the formed aluminum extrusions for the upper bomb bay. Forming has been completed, and the new components are ready for heat treatment. These extrusions are critical structural elements in the reconstruction of the aircraft’s center fuselage section.
Meanwhile, students involved in the restoration program have completely disassembled the newly fabricated portions of the upper bomb bay structure. Each component has been prepared for painting before final reassembly begins. Although considerable work remains, these engineering and fabrication stages are essential to the physical reconstruction of the aircraft. They also reflect the educational mission at the heart of the project, with students participating throughout the process and gaining practical experience in engineering, metal fabrication, aircraft structures, and historic preservation.
The story of how America’s youth is rebuilding a WWII B-25 bomber is both inspiring and full of perseverance. Piece by piece, Sandbar Mitchell continues to take shape as the Warbirds of Glory team works toward returning the historic WWII bomber to airworthy condition. To learn more about the project and donate to the restoration, visit the website at WarbirdsOfGlory.org.
(Image credit: Warbirds of Glory Museum)
